MUMBAI: As the festive season comes in sight, the soaring price of sugar has reduced by Rs 5-10 per kilo in retail markets. Still, retail rates vary between Rs 60 to Rs 75 citywide, which is steep as compared to the normal average of Rs 40-42.Individual households, hotels and restaurants as well as confectioners and mithai manufacturers are struggling to manage costs given that buffalo milk also became costlier by Rs 9 from Rs 93 to Rs 102 on September 1.Online stores like Zepto and Instamart have imposed a limit of two kilos on individual pack purchases. D’Mart however allows shoppers to purchase five or six 1kg packs.On Wednesday sugar cost Rs 60 to Rs 75/kg within a half km radius in Andheri West. In Borivli, rates were Rs 65-70 while a store in Khar charged Rs 75.Mukesh Kuwadia, secretary of the Bombay Sugar Merchants Association, said, “Market has come down by 30% in the last eight days. Ex-mill rates have reduced from Rs 63-65 to Rs 45-47due to govt preventive steps. Retail prices have also dropped from Rs 70-75 to 60/kg. It will drop further by five rupees. However, kirana shops that had purchased sugar at high rates and continue to hold old stock will take a few days to lower prices lest they suffer losses.”The association claims ethanol blending is not responsible for soaring prices. The next sugar season begins October 15.Meanwhile, mithai manufacturers are hard at pains to manage kitchens at cost price.Profits are a distant dream. Manish Bajaj, owner of Punjabi Ghasitaram Halwai, said, “Raw material including sugar, milk (and consequently ghee), dry fruit, LPG gas, have all gone up. I have already printed new menus two times over the last couple of months. I cannot possibly raise prices again. So I am patiently suffering losses waiting for the big festive season to arrive. Let us see if things settle down by Ganeshotsav.“Afzal Bhai of Sheetal Mithaiwala in Kurla said, “All ingredients including milk and sugar have become costlier, so we have increased prices of milk-based mithais from Rs 660 to Rs 680. Customers are complaining. Sugar and milk are household items. They should be reasonably priced.”The fairly new Quba Sweets in Andheri West is holding off from raising prices. A shop representative said, “We risk losing customers if we do so. Albeit retail rates of sugar have dropped by Rs 10/kg from Rs 75 to Rs 65 now. We also buy at market rates. Nobody gives us discount as bulk buyers.”
